Unquiet Slumber

by Paulette Miller

  As the flames brightened and licked against the wound, a feeling of power grew throughout the room. The family huddled closer and closer together as the feeling started to overwhelm them. The bleeding slowly stopped and the cut began to close. Within a few minutes, all that was left of the cut was a thin red line and some bruising. Tianna gradually extinguished the healing blue fire. As the flames receded, so did the feeling of power in the room, and Garrett’s unease.

  Tianna exhaled and said, “There, I’m done.”

  Everyone in the room also exhaled in relief.

  Tianna looked at Garrett’s parents. “He should be alright now. Keep him lying down today, but he should feel much better tomorrow morning.” Without any sign of appreciation, his mother quickly walked to the door. Now that her son was healed, Tianna could tell that she was anxious for Tianna to leave their home. Tianna sighed. She had hoped that over the years their fear and dislike for her had lessened, but for some reason, it seemed to grow more intense.

  Tianna walked to the door and paused just before exiting. She glanced up at Garrett’s mother and said, “I’ll stop in tomorrow to see how he’s doing.”

  Garrett’s mother backed up like Tianna had spit on her.

  Sara, following Tianna out of the door, smiled and hugged Tianna tight around her waist. “Thanks Ty for taking care of my stupid brother.”

  Tianna hugged her back, welcoming Sara’s touch. Her parents cringed at the exchange. Keeping their distance, they gave Sara an angry glare and called her back to their side. Although they were grateful for Tianna’s healing powers, they didn’t want her anywhere near their family. Over time, Sara would also grow to fear her, and Tianna didn’t look forward to that day.

  Once Tianna was completely out of the house, the door was quickly closed behind her. She walked down the path, stopping abruptly when she realized that she left some of her herbs on the table. She walked back and paused for a moment when she passed a window, watching the family interact. Garrett’s mother hugged her injured son and Sara crawled onto his lap, giving him a kiss on his cheek. His father ruffled his son’s hair and then started the safety lecture. She hoped the lecture would do some good and Garrett would heed his father’s words, but she knew that she would be back soon. Garrett seemed to have a knack for getting into trouble.

  Tianna felt strangely sad, realizing that she longed for a family of her own. She loved children and wanted a large family but knew that as long as she lived in Trille, a family was nothing more than a silly dream. She decided to leave the herbs and continued her journey back to the empty home she shared with her wizard master. As always, no one was there waiting to greet her. Her shoulders drooped and she went back to sorting the remaining herbs.

  That night, she dreamed about her desire for a husband and family. Her dream faded and was replaced by the familiar image of Garrett as a young boy. In her dream, both he and Tianna were at the age where boys stopped pulling on girl’s braids and they gazed at each other with different interests in their eyes.

  Although most boys were afraid to approach Tianna, Garrett had decided to be brave. He stopped at Zarin’s home and asked for permission to take her on a picnic. Tianna was so excited that she begged her wizard master to let her go. After much whining on Tianna’s part, he agreed.

  Garrett took her for a walk in the woods and stopped under one of Tianna’s favorite trees along the river. They laid out a blanket, talked and ate, and were having a great time. Once they had finished their mid-day meal, Garrett nervously placed his hand over Tianna’s. A funny feeling started in her stomach as she intertwined her fingers with his. Garrett gazed into Tianna’s bright blue eyes and asked if he could kiss her.

  She swallowed hard and, in a voice no louder than a whisper, said, “Yes.”

  Slowly his lips touched hers. At first she wasn’t sure how to respond but she tried to mirror his movements and kiss him back. She thought it was very nice. Soon Tianna relaxed and she ran her fingers through his curly black hair. In an instant everything changed. Their kissing had triggered feelings that she wasn’t prepared for.

  Her hands began to glow and, before she knew it, the blue flames appeared. She couldn’t yet control her power and the flames caused his hair to appear like it was on fire. Once she realized this, she quickly removed her hands, but the blue fire remained. Garrett jumped up and tried to beat the flames out with his hands. They weren’t actually burning his skin, but he was scared.

  Tianna wasn’t thinking straight and tried to do a quick spell. She thought the magic would remove the flames, which it did, but it also removed his hair. All those lovely curls vanished and he was left completely bald. When she started to try another spell, he screamed in horror and ran back to the village. Desperate to fix what she had done, she chased after him.

  His family heard him coming and came outside to see what all the yelling was about. When they saw their bald son, Garrett’s mother shrieked and gave Tianna an evil glare. She yelled, “You did this to my son!”

  “It was an accident. Please let me try to make it right,” Tianna begged with tears welling in her eyes.

  “Get away from my house and my son, you witch. I should never have allowed him to spend time with you.” She spoke with a look of pure hatred. She took Garrett into their house and slammed the door.

  Tianna ran up to the door and pleaded to come in so she could try to correct her mistake, but there was no response. In the end, she left to find Zarin.

  She found Zarin with his head in his books. With tears in her eyes, she explained what had happened. He decided to go see Garrett and see if he could make it right. Tianna begged him to let her come, but he said that it would be better if she stayed home. Tianna collapsed where she was and cried.

  About an hour later Zarin returned, telling Tianna that he was able to give Garrett hair, although he was unable to return it to its original glory. His hair was now totally white and straight, all of his lovely dark curls were gone. He said it was best that she stay away from Garrett as much as possible.

  The story of what happened traveled quickly through the town, changing as it spread. One version involved Tianna laughing as she deliberately set his hair on fire.

  Over the next few weeks, she tried to convince people of the truth. Villagers who liked Tianna hesitantly believed her but most thought she was lying and added this to the list of reasons to stay away from her.

  The damage was done. That was her first kiss as well as her first and last date. She was approached for healing but never for anything more personal. Marriage was out of the question. She learned to accept her fate, but it caused a constant ache in her heart.

  Tianna awoke and stared into the dark, miserably wondering about life. Why was she so different? Was she always going to be alone? She was 24 and already far beyond typical marrying age.

  Hours passed before dawn recalled her to the present.

  Tianna rose and, as promised, went to check on Garrett. He was in the shop working with his father and his leg was healing well, his white hair shining in the sun. With nothing left to do, Tianna spent the rest of the day walking around the village watching people going through their normal routines.

  Next to the village blacksmith, she past some reflective steel and stopped to adjust her clothes. She stood barely to the shoulders of most adult men, shorter than any woman her age. The dresses designed for her height were made for younger girls without adult curves, which she had in plenty. Also, the women in Trille were convinced that she was trying to use her figure and magical skills in an attempt to seduce their men. These facts caused her to design clothes that hid her figure and were unflattering, making them very uncomfortable to wear.

  As she continued to scan her reflection, she noticed just how different she was from anyone she had ever met. Her eyes were the color of the deep summer sky; so blue she had been told that they almost glowed. Her hair was so lightly colored that it appeared to shimmer like strands of pure silver in the sunlight. It also
hung long enough that when she sat down, she had to move it out of the way so she wouldn’t sit on it. She knew that she should probably cut it, but for some reason, she just couldn’t do it. Instead she pulled it back in long, elaborate braids.

  Nobody, including her parents, resembled her. Villagers called her ‘the ghost with glowing eyes’.

  Although she had moved in with her wizard master when she began her apprenticeship, she still visited her parents regularly. She occasionally asked her parents why she was so different from them, but they always responded the same way. “You are the way you are because that’s the way you were given to us. This is the way you’re meant to be and we love you. You’re beautiful.” They also told her that she was special and to ignore the unkind villagers. She tried, but it was difficult.

  Besides her appearance and healing skills, she also had other characteristics that she had tried to keep secret from everyone in the village, including her parents and Zarin. Only men were allowed to use weapons and hunt but, in secrecy, she crafted a bow and arrows. She liked to sneak out into the neighboring woods to practice archery, becoming extremely skilled over the years.

  Tianna continued down the street, chuckling as she overheard some of the women complaining about animals getting into their gardens and digging out plants. Tianna knew what animal they were referring to, as it was the same one tormenting her garden. She continued her walk and thought about the many ways she could cook that pig. Pork was one of her favorite meats and her stomach started to growl. Although she was quite capable of killing animals for food, she didn’t do it lightly, because she didn’t like to kill. She felt a strong connection to nature, and it upset her whenever any life was taken. She wondered if that was one of the reasons why she was so eager to learn the art of healing.

  Tianna loved to be close to nature and spent a lot of time in the trees of Hartwood Forest. She could climb with the ease and grace of a big cat, thanks to her small, nimble build. Sitting in a tree was like having a warm blanket wrapped around her and sometimes, if she concentrated hard enough, she could swear that she heard nature whispering in her ear.

  Although the village of Trille had been home for her entire life, she had never felt like she belonged there. She had a nagging feeling that she needed to be somewhere else, and she knew that someday she would have to leave and try to find where she did belong.

  She sighed and decided it was time to head back to Zarin’s.

  When she arrived home, she relaxed into her evening routine of straightening the inevitable wizard clutter. Since wizardry was a male trait it was hard for others to accept her chosen future, but being taught by Zarin had given her life purpose. He was a strict, determined teacher and it was clear that he was trying to prepare her for something. When asked why, he would say it was because he saw talent in her and wanted her to be the best that she could be. He was very patient and always praised her frequent successes, becoming like a second father to her. She worked hard and tried to live up to his expectations. She wondered if maybe he was trying to prepare her to meet some of the magical creatures he had told her about.

  From a very young age, Zarin would tell her about wizards so powerful that they could influence earth, wind, fire, and water. Her favorite stories were about creatures that could shapeshift from human into animal forms. She wasn’t sure if she believed his stories of shifters, but the idea fascinated her. She would love to be able to shift.

  She enjoyed the stories he told her about people called the Inari that lived as one with nature. They lived in forests and could speak to plants and trees. When Tianna would walk through the woods, she secretly hoped that an Inari would be standing there waiting for her. It hadn’t happened yet but she kept hoping.

  He also told her stories about the Faye, beautiful, transparent spirit beings with hair and eyes similar to Tianna’s. In fact, when she was younger and did one of Zarin’s lessons exceptionally well, he would call her his little Faye. She asked him once if he had ever met a Faye, and he said that he had, but refused to give any details. He said it was a private moment that he would share with her someday.

  Not everything he told her was nice. He also spoke of creatures that frightened her—demons and creatures so twisted that even hearing the words made her tremble. One story in particular was about a race called the Dregg. They were horrible creatures that lived underground and took over human bodies to either enslave or turn them into evil creatures of war. Although she didn’t want to believe in these stories, for some reason, she did. She knew that one day she would have to face this evil with only her skills to protect her, so she studied hard.

  Most of the time when he told her stories she would have wonderful dreams. Dreams where she was able to shift into an animal that could either fly high above the ground or could run swiftly and silently through the trees. Sometimes she would turn into a beautiful woman that everyone loved and respected.

  Not all of her dreams were pleasant. She hadn’t wanted to talk to Zarin about her recurring nightmare that included the Dregg. It was always the same storyline; she walked along in an unknown forest, called by an unknown dark figure, and then rotting arms would come up out of the ground and try to pull her under. She guessed that she had these nightmares because she knew that these evil creatures were out there. She could feel it in her bones. Although she loved to spend time in the woods alone, she tried to stay off the ground whenever she could. She even taught herself how to travel in the trees, jumping from branch to branch, and how to sleep tucked safely above ground.

  Last night’s dream had been different. This time, the black figure approached and called to her with words she understood. Who was this black stranger that haunted her dreams? Whoever he was, he was getting closer to finding her. What was going to happen when he finally touched her?

  She went to sleep worrying about her dreams but, for once, she slept peacefully.

  A few days later, Zarin returned from his trip. This gave Tianna some free time and she decided that she would spend a few days in the woods tracking down that herb-destroying boar. Although she didn’t like the idea of killing for revenge, this animal had pushed her over the line.

  With a devilish smile on her face she, said to herself, “Well, a girl has to eat.”

  She gathered up her bow, quiver of arrows, and supplies for a few days.

  Zarin was in the village so she left a note on the table for him. He and her parents were used to her disappearing for a couple of days at a time, so they wouldn’t be worried. She walked out of her back door and headed into the woods. She thought that a few undisturbed days with nothing but nature as her companion would do her a world of good.

  Chapter 2 - The Quest

  “Remind me again why we’re traveling across this god forsaken country-side?” Nathaniel was getting tired of his hot and sweaty horse, the endless trail, biting flies, unappealing camp food, lumpy bedrolls, and unfeeling trees.

  Marcus shook his head in exasperation. “I’ve said a hundred times, you know why we travel. The Seer has never been wrong.”

  Nathaniel sighed and walked his horse past Gabriel to be closer to Marcus. “There’s always a first time for her to be wrong. Before we left, the Seer was acting odd. I’m not sure we can count on all of her visions to be accurate.”

  Gabriel glanced from Nathaniel to Marcus. “Although I never discount the words of the Seer, I’m beginning to see Nathaniel’s point of view.”

  Nathaniel twisted quickly in his saddle to look at Gabriel. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he shouted, “Ha! I knew you would learn to love me Gabby Boy.”

  Gabriel clenched his fists and gave Nathaniel a deep growl. “I wouldn’t go that far, Lover Boy. But…” He hesitated, relaxed his stance, and said to Marcus, “Nathaniel does have a point. We’ve been traveling for many months with no success. If this warrior does exist, I don’t think he wants to be found.”

  Marcus was getting frustrated with his brothers. He knew they missed home, but he also knew
how important this quest was, not just to his people, but to all the people of Lagrangia. He needed to help them grasp the importance of their travels. He slipped into a lecturing tone as he said, “The war has cost us dearly and our numbers decrease every day. The Seer says that this warrior will help bring an end to the war and start a new era of peace. If there’s any chance that he exists, I for one want to find him.”

  Seth joined the discussion. “But Marcus. How could a Draak that powerful exist without our knowledge? Since we can only breed within our own kind and not outside of our Sett, we’re able to track all of our births…” After a brief pause he added, “… as well as our deaths.”

  As Seth spoke, Nathaniel winced and pointed his sword at Seth‘s chest. “Please don’t say the word ‘breed’. I haven’t been with anyone in so long that I’ve almost forgotten what a wiggling, naked, sweaty female underneath me feels like.” He grinned at the thought. “It’s too bad we can’t bear children with humans. There are a few women I’d be willing to share my seed with again, and again, and again.” He stared off into the trees with a wicked grin on his face.